NameCensus.

UK surname

Keady

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "céadach" meaning a keeper of a battle or cattle herd.

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Keady surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 277, ranked #15,619, up from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elmbridge, Wolverhampton and North Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keady is 289 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 925.9%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

277

2016, ranked #15,619

Peak year

2010

289 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keady had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016, ranked #15,619.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 76 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Keady surname distribution map

The map shows where the Keady surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Keady surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Keady over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 18 #30,094
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 30 #31,889
1901 historical 76 #25,734
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 264 #15,119
1999 modern 250 #15,802
2000 modern 264 #15,191
2001 modern 255 #15,319
2002 modern 260 #15,415
2003 modern 243 #15,911
2004 modern 248 #15,779
2005 modern 242 #15,987
2006 modern 244 #16,011
2007 modern 260 #15,476
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 272 #15,475
2010 modern 289 #15,127
2011 modern 274 #15,571
2012 modern 269 #15,706
2013 modern 284 #15,358
2014 modern 275 #15,831
2015 modern 272 #15,851
2016 modern 277 #15,619

Geography

Back to top

Where Keadys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Elmbridge, Wolverhampton and North Tyneside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elmbridge 002 Elmbridge
2 Wolverhampton 004 Wolverhampton
3 Wolverhampton 032 Wolverhampton
4 Wolverhampton 006 Wolverhampton
5 North Tyneside 022 North Tyneside

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Keady

These lists show first names that appear often with the Keady surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Keady

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keady, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Keady surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Keady household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Keady is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keady is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keady falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keady is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Keady, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keady

The surname Keady is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, where it was derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Céadaigh," meaning "descendant of Céadach."

Céadach was a personal name derived from the old Irish word "céad," meaning "hundred," potentially referring to a leader or chieftain who commanded a group of a hundred warriors or soldiers. The name may have been bestowed upon someone of notable leadership or military prowess.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a certain "Muiredach Ua Cedaig" in the year 1059. This entry suggests that the name was in use and well-established by the 11th century.

The surname Keady is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Keadew in County Armagh, which may have been named after a prominent individual or family bearing the name. Additionally, variations such as Keady, Keadey, and Keadagh were used interchangeably throughout history.

Notable individuals with the surname Keady include:

1. Thomas Keady (c. 1780-1858), an Irish-born American landowner and politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 2. John Keady (1891-1964), an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League). 3. Walter Keady (1917-1989), an Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Labor Party. 4. Kathleen Keady (1939-2019), an Irish writer and academic known for her contributions to Irish literature and her work on the poetry of W.B. Yeats. 5. Gene Keady (born 1936), a former American college basketball coach who led the Purdue Boilermakers for 25 seasons and was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

While the surname Keady has seen various spellings and regional variations over time, it has maintained a strong connection to its Irish heritage and the legacy of its earliest bearers in County Armagh and surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Keady families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keady surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 9 Keadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 2.88x
Surrey 7 5.46x
Northumberland 5 12.77x
Lanarkshire 3 3.52x
Durham 2 2.55x
Middlesex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 6 Keadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.29x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 6 114.29x
Tynemouth 5 238.10x
Horley 4 1904.76x
Barony 3 13.93x
Merstham 3 3750.00x
Stranton 2 75.76x
Heaton Norris 1 56.18x
Islington London 1 3.92x
Liverpool 1 5.27x
Newchurch 1 39.06x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Keady surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Catherine 2
Sophia 2
Ann 1
Hannah 1
Honora 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Keady surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Patrick 2
Robert 2
William 2
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
John 1
Martin 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Keady households.

FAQ

Keady surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keady surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Keady surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keady surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016. That gives Keady a modern rank of #15,619.

What does the Keady surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "céadach" meaning a keeper of a battle or cattle herd.

What does the Keady map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Keady bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.